Opposition urge government to ‘call a spade a spade’ on Iran
Opposition TDs have criticised the Government for failing to sufficiently “call a spade a spade” in describing US and Israeli actions in Iran as a clear breach of international law. 

Labour TD Duncan Smith said the Irish Government must issue a “clear and unequivocal condemnation” as he described the last four days as “the greatest escalation in global insecurity and conflict since the US invaded Iraq in 2003”.

“We value international law. If so-called global leaders are breaking international law – and, indeed, breaking their own domestic law in the case of the United States – then international law will hold no currency,” he said. 

“Iran is a rogue regime, it is a despotic regime, it is an authoritarian regime. They have been seeking to obtain nuclear weapons for a number of years,” he said, adding that it is “only through dialogue” and strong actions from the institutions like the United Nations that deescalation will be achieved. 

“There is no example in history where an illegal war and an illegal attack has actually brought peace. This is something that the Irish government should call out in terms of the break of international law and they should be vociferous in doing so.”

Mr Smith said it is currently “incongruous” for Taoiseach Micheál Martin to hand the traditional bowl of shamrock to President Donald Trump, who he said has brought “chaos” to the Middle East, during St Patrick’s Day celebrations in Washington DC this month.

“If there was a different choreography around it, if it was a meeting across the table to discuss the issue at hand, to discuss global insecurity, then have that, but to have a St Patrick’s Day friendship event with that photo at the end, that would feel incongruous at this time.”

Speaking to reporters outside Leinster House this afternoon, Social Democrats TD Patricia Stephenson said she was “pretty appalled” by Foreign Affairs Minister Helen McEntee’s response to the situation in the Middle East yesterday.

“She rightly condemned Iran’s retaliatory response, a sentiment I absolutely agree with… but the fact that we can’t call a spade a spade. Israel and the US have breached the UN Charter. It is a breach of international law.”

She said it is “not a sign of weakness” to do so and called on Government to follow Spain in taking a “strong stance”. 

Sinn Féin TD Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire said he does not believe the government has been “strong enough” in responding to the ongoing situation  in the Middle East.

“It is very clearly a breach of international law, a breach of the UN charter and is extremely dangerous. This has the potential to spill out into conflicts in several neighbouring countries, there seems to be no end game, no objective in relation to this.”

He said Ireland should follow the example of the Spanish government in condemning a “reckless” and “dangerous” breach of international law.

People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd-Barret also said there has been a “failure of the Irish government to condemn this for what it is, as a flagrant breach of international law”.

He said the Government should “unequivocally condemn this act of warmongering, imperialism, military aggression by the US and Israel”.

“They should immediately tell the US military they are not welcome in Shannon Airport, to be using our airports to, in any way, assist them in conducting this dangerous escalation of militarism and warmongering in the Middle East.”

Opposition TDs have also called on Government to provide greater clarity on their work to repatriate Irish citizens currently in the Gulf region, and to consider targeted supports to protect vulnerable households against any hikes in energy prices as a result of the conflict.

Maeve McTaggart